Dead body found off Simmons Road on St. Helena Island

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that a body was found Saturday afternoon off Simmons Road on St. Helena Island.

Sheriff’s Office Dispatch received a call about the body, which was located near a wooded area according a Sheriff’s Office release, at around 5:45 p.m.

The body was in an active state of decomposition according to the release, and deputies and investigators were unable to identify the individual or their cause of death.

Forensic evidence was collected from the body and it was removed by the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office according to the release. The release, which was issued at 9:55 p.m., does not give an exact time for the removal, but says it happened “a short time ago.”

The Coroner’s Office will perform a forensic autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina to establish the decedent’s identity and a cause and manner of death, according to the release.

The scene on Simmons Road is no longer active, the release states, and more information will be released as it becomes available.

If you have any information about the identity of this individual, or about the circumstances surrounding their death, you are asked to call Sgt. Brandon Disbrow at (843) 255-3407 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC (274-6372).

This story was originally published December 2, 2017 at 10:22 PM with the headline "Dead body found off Simmons Road on St. Helena Island."